The UK audio world gathered at the BFI Southbank on Thursday night to celebrate the 2025 Audio Production Awards, with wins spanning indie podcasters, breakout talent and some of the scene’s most established creators. Hosted by broadcaster Remel London, the ceremony marked another year of the APAs recognising the craft behind the podcasts, audiobooks and radio shows listeners love.
Fix Radio had a strong night, taking home Publisher / Network of the Year, while Bella Soames of DMG Media was crowned Producer of the Year as well as Factual Producer for her work on Pipeline. The AudioUK Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to the sector, went to Sheffield’s Crossed Wires Festival, praised for championing UK podcast culture from outside the capital.
Independent production company Penny4 won Drama and Fiction for Up in Smoke, a supernatural thriller series that impressed judges with its immersive storytelling, while the Ensemble Cast/Presenting Team award went to Becky and Ben Saer for Becky and Ben’s Fertility Spotlight, a first-time APA entry that resonated with listeners and judges alike.
This year introduced three new categories, all of which spotlighted audio’s ability to tell overlooked stories. In History, Wajid Yaseen and Steve Urquhart (Modus Arts) won gold for Tape Letters, a moving exploration of the cassette messages exchanged by Pakistani migrants in mid-20th-century Britain. RAW/Audible won True Crime for Cursed, with presenter Femi Oke also taking home Presenter/Host of the Year. The Changemaker Award went to QueerAF and Trans+ History Week, recognised for its mini-documentaries amplifying gender-diverse stories at a pivotal moment.
Rising talent was also firmly in the spotlight. Scout Tzofiya Bolton (Prison Radio Association) won New Voice for The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag, while Mia Thornton (BBC Sounds Audio Lab / Reform Radio) picked up New Producer for Instrumental.
Prison Radio Association was named Production Company of the Year, rounding off a strong year for the organisation, whose work was recognised across multiple categories.
Reflecting on the winners, Chloe Straw, CEO of AudioUK, praised the breadth of this year’s entries:
“The APAs exemplify the brilliance of the industry — whether you are a big business or an independent creator, there is a place for you to be celebrated. Entering can often be the hardest step, and you should all be incredibly proud.”
After 15 years of celebrating UK audio, the APAs continue to reflect a growing, diversifying industry — one where ambitious newcomers stand shoulder to shoulder with established networks and where storytelling remains at the heart of it all.
Full list of winners:
Entertainment
GOLD – Jack Edwards, Travis Glossop, Demi Bell, Brogan Hubber & Toby Penman – Fix Radio
SILVER – Ewan Newbigging-Lister – JamPot Productions
BRONZE – Katie Boden – TBI Media
Nominees:
Helena Webb – BBC Audio
Jemima Rathbone – JamPot Productions
Dino Sofos, Caillin McDaid, Will Gibson Smith & Flossie Barrett – Persephonica
Rory Powers & Kit Grier Mulvenna – This Paranormal Life
Branded Content
GOLD – Natalie Steed – Rhubarb Rhubarb
SILVER – Sam Taylor – Prison Radio Association
BRONZE – Podcast Team – National Trust
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Ollie Guillou – OG Podcasts & The Guernsey Alzheimer’s Association
Nominees:
Fresh Air
Ollie Wilson, Kat Hutcheson, Nia Deo, Charlie Murrell, Rahnee Prescod – Sony Music Podcasts
Little Ears
GOLD – Cole Stopnik – Independent Podcaster
SILVER – Laura Hyde – Chalk & Blade
BRONZE – Jack Whitney, Chloe McLaren, James Trusson, Adam Devenney, Kathleen Moroney, Polly Evans, Ravina Bajwa & Georgie Britton – Natural History Museum, Forever Audio & Tonies
Nominees:
Gill Davies, Claire O’Gallagher & Derek Farrell – GDP / BBC Scotland Learning
Krishna Murali – The Fourth Bookmark, Independent Podcast
Morwenna Rose – The Book of Arralan
Arts & Culture (sponsored by London Podcast Festival)
GOLD – Chris Mitchell – Breaking Atoms & Sumit Sharma – Unedited
SILVER – Tony Phillips & Axel Kacoutié – Sea Salt and Mango
BRONZE – Sam Tyler – Freelance
Nominees:
Meg Elliot – BBC Sounds Audio Lab / Overcoat Media
Meera Kumar – Freelance
Wajid Yaseen & Steve Urquhart – Modus Arts
Lifestyle & Society
GOLD – Suzi Dale & Micky Curling – Story Publishing
SILVER – Laura Grimshaw & Jon Holmes – unusual
BRONZE – Hugh Sheehan – BBC Sounds Audio Lab / Reduced Listening
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Krishna Murali – The Fourth Bookmark, Independent Podcast
Nominees:
Rich Le Gate – Inbetween Man
Ollie Brookes, James Wilson, Faye Dunn & Arthur Hagues – Prison Radio Association
New Voice (sponsored by BBC Sounds)
GOLD – Scout Tzofiya Bolton – Prison Radio Association
SILVER – Dr Emma Nagouse – Lead Mojo Productions
BRONZE – Naomi Bloomstein – Freelance
Nominees:
Siddharth Khajuria – Falling Tree Productions
Ajay Tegala – National Trust
Anna Sinfield – Novel
Comedy
GOLD – Jon Holmes – unusual
SILVER – Ollie Wilson, Charlie Murrell, Nia Deo, Rahnee Prescod – Sony Music Podcasts
BRONZE – Lauren Mackay – BBC Scotland
Nominees:
Dave Masterman, Michael Dale & Bertie Moores – Audio Always
Ed Morrish – Lead Mojo Productions
Rory Powers & Kit Grier Mulvenna – This Paranormal Life
Audiobook
GOLD – Kate MacDonald – Freelance
SILVER – Rosemary O’Dowd – Penguin Random House
BRONZE – Liam Gerrard – Raconteurs Audio LLP
Nominees:
Nicola Wall, Oliver Grant & Yuki Parmar – Audible
Chris Thompson – Penguin Random House
Nicola Alexandrou – The Guardian
Drama & Fiction
GOLD – Guy Larsen, Cambria Bailey-Jones, Gabriela Jones & Dan Pugsley – Penny4
SILVER – Emma Stephens & Bernard P Achampong – Unedited
BRONZE – Nicolas Jackson – Afonica
Nominees:
Tracey Neale – BBC Studios
Max Blair & Mark McKibbin – Blackabbey Productions
Hat Trick Productions / Audible
Factual / Documentary (sponsored by Great Big Story)
GOLD – Bella Soames – DMG Media
SILVER – Chalk & Blade / Audible
BRONZE – Timur Dzhafarov & Cicely Fell – Falling Tree Productions
Nominees:
Blanchard House
Becky Lipscombe & Isobel Cockerell – Coda Story
Leigh Meyer, Amalie Sortland, Josephine Wheeler & Nicholas Alexander – Novel
History
GOLD – Wajid Yaseen & Steve Urquhart – Modus Arts
SILVER – Joe Dunthorne & Eleanor McDowall – Falling Tree Productions
BRONZE – Hugh Sheehan – BBC Sounds Audio Lab / Reduced Listening
Nominees:
Ruth Abrahams, Carole Cadwalladr & Peter Jukes – Project Citizen
Production Team – StoryHunter
TellTale Industries & Antica Productions
Sound Design
GOLD – Scout Tzofiya Bolton, Andrew Wilkie, Ellen Orchard, Micky Curling & Phil Maguire – Prison Radio Association
SILVER – Phoebe McIndoe – Falling Tree Productions
BRONZE – Esa Williams – RAW/Audible
Nominees:
Nicholas Alexander – Novel
Alice Boyd & Joy Nkoyo – Peanut & Crumb
Ivan d'Avoine & Derick Armah – Transmission Roundhouse
Music (sponsored by Morley Radio)
GOLD – Matt Healy, Katie Fox, Jojo Jones, Joe Gardner, Rachel Barton & Pete Tong – We Are Grape
SILVER – Lady Unchained & Arthur Hagues – Prison Radio Association
BRONZE – Silas Gray – Reduced Listening
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Tom Whalley – Freelance
Nominees:
Matthew Bannister & Natalie Steed – Folk on Foot
Ollie Braddy, Jojo Jones, Matt Healy & Sarah Story – We Are Grape
Changemaker Award (sponsored by The Podcast Show)
GOLD – QueerAF podcast with Trans+ History Week
SILVER – Wild Tales – National Trust
BRONZE – Tommy Kennedy, Claire Offley & Fran Reynolds – Carousel
Nominees:
Tash Walker & Adam Zmith – Aunt Nell
Short Cuts – Falling Tree Productions
Outside In – Prison Radio Association
Narrator
GOLD – Charlotte Ritchie – Nosy Crow
SILVER – Ella Kenion – Bonnier Books UK
BRONZE – Poppy Mae Barrett – HarperCollins Publishers
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Maxim Reston – White House Sound / Hodder & Stoughton
Nominees:
Harriet Walter – HarperCollins Publishers
Dan Jones – Sony Music Podcasts
Presenter / Host (sponsored by Everybody Media)
GOLD – Femi Oke – RAW/Audible
SILVER – Joe Dunthorne – Falling Tree Productions
BRONZE – Jerry Brotton – Whistledown Productions
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Krishna Murali – The Fourth Bookmark, Independent Podcast
Nominees:
Danny Robins – Bafflegab Productions / Uncanny Media
Niall Breslin – Chalk & Blade / Audible
News / Politics
GOLD – Ruth Abrahams, Carole Cadwalladr & Peter Jukes – Project Citizen
SILVER – Christopher Pitt, Stephen Carroll, Caroline Hepker, Tiwa Adebayo & James Woolcock – Bloomberg
BRONZE – Edward Drummond – The Times
Nominees:
George McDonagh – Freelance
Artemis Irvine – Freelance / Whistledown Productions
May Robson – Reduced Listening
Sports
GOLD – Andrew Wilkie, Faye Dunn, Phil Maguire & Paula Harriott – Prison Radio Association
SILVER – Chris Browning-Brant, Christian Hewgill, Katie Osborne & Jamie Smith – Formula 1
BRONZE – Sophie Penney & Adonis Pratsides – Global
Nominees:
Rob Sillito, Ben Russell & Emma Brydges – Couch to Coached Running
Damien St John & Ant McGinley – Podomedy
Ray Paul, Ishtia May, Jerelle Forbes & Heartless Crew (MC Bushkin & DJ Fonti) – The Playmaker Group
True Crime
GOLD – RAW/Audible
SILVER – Rima Ahmed, Luke de Costa & Luke Eldridge – BBC Sounds
BRONZE – Carl Miller, Caroline Thornham & Tom Wright – Novel
Nominees:
Phoebe McIndoe & Redzi Bernard – Falling Tree Productions
Andrew Wilkie – Prison Radio Association
Production Team – StoryHunter
Ensemble Cast / Presenting Team
GOLD – Becky & Ben Saer
SILVER – Zak & Jules – Prison Radio Association
BRONZE – Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson, Harriet Harman & Jess Phillips – Sky News
Nominees:
Mel Giedroyc & Sue Perkins – Audible / Hat Trick
Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders – Audible / Listen
Rachel, Elaine & Caroline – Whistledown
New Producer (sponsored by Amazon Music)
GOLD – Mia Thornton – BBC Sounds Audio Lab / Reform Radio
SILVER – Marnie Duke – Transmission Roundhouse
BRONZE – Katie Fox – We Are Grape
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Riham Moussa – Freelance
Nominees:
Lorna Reader – BBC Studios
Joseph Russell – Fire Mountain Productions
Producer of the Year (sponsored by Audible)
GOLD – Bella Soames – DMG Media
SILVER – Andrew Wilkie – Prison Radio Association
BRONZE – Jack Edwards – Fix Radio
Nominees:
Phoebe McIndoe – Falling Tree Productions
Georgia Arundell – Platform Media
Georgina Savage – RAW
Jon Holmes – unusual
AudioUK Award
Winner: Crossed Wires Festival
Production Company of the Year (sponsored by Aiir)
GOLD – Prison Radio Association
SILVER – Bespoken Media
BRONZE – Falling Tree Productions
Nominees:
Fresh Air
Novel
Reduced Listening
Samizdat Audio
Publisher / Network of the Year (sponsored by BetterHelp)
GOLD – Fix Radio
SILVER – Resonance
BRONZE – Goalhanger
Nominees:
Fun Kids
RQ Network
Sony Music Podcasts
